Electrical connector with snorting switch

Abstract

An electrical connector 10 is disclosed having a shorting switch 30 that shorts connector contacts 14 together when the mating connector 90 is separated therefrom and breaks the short when the mating connector 90 is mated thereto. The shorting switch 30 includes a shank 32 that is secured in an opening 24 in the base 16 of the connector housing 12. A first beam 38 extends upwardly from the shank 32 at an angle thereto and terminates in a radiused end 40 on one side of the centerline 37 of the shank 32. A second beam 42 extends from the radiused end 40 and terminates in a bifurcated contact end 50,52 on the other side of the shank centerline 37. The second beam 42 includes a knee 48 which is engaged by the mating connector housing 92 for camming the contact end 50,52 out of shorting engagement with the connector contacts 14 in such a way that the contact end 50,52 remains spaced from the mating housing 92. Elongated openings 54,56,58 are formed in the first and second beams 38,42 to distribute the stress of mating and unmating among the first and second beams 38,42 and the radiused end 40.

We claim: 
     
       1. In an electrical connector including an insulating housing having a base, at least one row of signal contacts extending upwardly from said base for mating engagement with contacts of a mating connector having a housing, said signal contacts extending through said base and terminating in leads for electrically connecting to another electrical component, a shorting switch comprising: (a) a shank secured to said base of said connector housing and having an axis substantially parallel with the axes of said signal contacts;   (b) a first beam extending from said shank at an angle to said axis away from said signal contacts and terminating in a radiused end at least partially on one side of said axis;   (c) a second beam extending from said radiused end across said axis and terminating in a contact end positioned on the other side of said axis; and   (d) a turned edge on said contact end arranged so that when said connector and said mating connector are in mated engagement said turned edge is adjacent said shank and is further arranged to abuttingly engage said shank to prevent over stressing of said shorting switch during said mating, wherein said shorting switch is arranged so that when said connector and said mating connector are separated said contact end is in shorting engagement with at least two of said signal contacts and when said connector and said mating connector are mated said contact end is spaced from said signal contacts and from both of said connector housings.     
     
     
       2. In an electrical connector including an insulating housing having a base, at least one row of signal contacts extending upwardly form said base for mating engagement with contacts of a mating connector having a housing, said signal contacts extending through said base and terminating in leads for electrically connecting to another electrical component, a shorting switch comprising: (a) a shank secured to said base of said connector housing and having an axis substantially parallel with the axes of said signal contacts;   (b) a first beam extending from said shank at an angle to said axis away from said signal contacts and terminating in a radiused end at least partially on one side of said axis; and   (c) a second beam extending from said radiused end across said axis and terminating in a contact end positioned on the other side of said axis, said second beam including a first portion extending from said radiused end diverging away from first beam to a knee and a second portion extending from said knee and angled toward said shank to said contact end, wherein said shorting switch is arranged so that when said connector and said mating connector are separated said contact end is in shorting engagement with at least two of said signal contacts and when said connector and said mating connector are mated said contact end is spaced from said signal contacts and from both of said connector housings.     
     
     
       3. The connector according to claim 2 wherein said knee and said contact end are positioned so that when said connector and said mating connector are in mated engagement said knee is in engagement with the side of said housing of said mating connector and said contact end is spaced from said housing. 
     
     
       4. The connector according to claim 2 including an opening in said base of said connector housing arranged to interferingly receive said shank. 
     
     
       5. The connector according to claim 4 wherein said shank includes two spaced legs extending in cantilevered fashion away from said first beam and a dimple between said two spaced legs and said first beam extending laterally therefrom and arranged so that when said shank is forced into said opening said dimple interferingly engages a wall of said opening thereby causing said spaced legs to separate and interferingly engage end walls of said opening. 
     
     
       6. The connector according to claim 5 wherein said opening includes a bridge between said two spaced legs of said shank arranged so that said projection of said shank is seated against said bridge to accurately position said shank within said opening. 
     
     
       7. The connector according to claim 5 wherein said shank includes an outwardly extending barb that interferingly engages an end wall of said opening and when said projection causes said spaced legs of said shank to separate, said barb is further forced into interfering engagement with said end wall to secure said shank within said opening. 
     
     
       8. The connector according to claim 7 wherein said opening includes chamfers along the edges thereof for receiving and guiding said two spaced legs during insertion of said shank into said opening. 
     
     
       9. The connector according to claim 2 wherein said first beam includes a first elongated opening, one end of which is adjacent said shank and the other end of which is adjacent said radiused end and said first portion of said second beam includes a second elongated opening, one end of which is adjacent said radiused end and the other end of which is adjacent said knee, said openings arranged to approximately equalize stress between said first and second beams and said radiused end. 
     
     
       10. The connector according to claim 9 wherein said second portion of said second beam includes a third elongated opening having an end adjacent said knee and extending through said contact end, bifurcating said contact end thereby defining first and second spaced apart contact ends for shorting engagement with said signal contacts, said third elongated opening arranged to equalize the contact forces between said first and second contact ends and their respective said signal contacts. 
     
     
       11. A shorting switch for use in an electrical connector of the type including an insulating housing having a base, at least one row of signal contacts extending upwardly from said base for mating engagement with contacts of a mating connector and extending through said base and terminating in leads for electrically connecting to another electrical component, said mating connector having a housing, said shorting switch comprising: (a) a shank arranged to be secured to said base so that its axis is substantially parallel with the axes of said signal contacts;   (b) a first beam extending from said shank at an angle to said axis in one direction away from said signal contacts and terminating in a radiused end at least partially on one side of said axis; and   (c) a second beam extending from said radiused end in another direction across said axis and terminating in a contact end positioned on the other side of said axis, said second beam including a first portion extending from said radiused end diverging away from said first beam to a knee and a second portion extending from said knee and angled toward said shank to said contact end, wherein said first and second beams are arranged so that when said shank is secured to said base of said connector, and said connector and said mating connector are separated said contact end is in shorting engagement with at least two of said signal contacts and when said connector and said mating connector are mated said contact end is spaced from said signal contacts and from both of said connector housings.     
     
     
       12. The shorting switch according to claim 11 wherein said knee and said contact end are positioned so that when said connector and said mating connector are in mated engagement said knee is in engagement with the side of said housing of said mating connector and said contact end is spaced from said housing. 
     
     
       13. A shorting switch according to claim 11 wherein said base includes an opening to interferingly receive said shank and said shank includes a body and a pair of spaced apart legs extending therefrom, a dimple extending from said body lateral to and between said legs and arranged so that when said shank is inserted into said opening a portion of said body is slightly lengthened thereby forcing said legs into the end walls of said opening. 
     
     
       14. The shorting switch according to claim 13 wherein said shank includes a pair of outwardly extending barbs, one on each end of said body, that interferingly engage the end wall of said opening and when said dimple causes said portion of said body to lengthen, said barbs are further forced into interfering engagement with said opening to secure said shank within said opening. 
     
     
       15. The connector according to claim 11 wherein said first beam includes a first elongated opening, one end of which is adjacent said shank and the other end of which is adjacent said radiused end and said first portion of said second beam includes a second elongated opening, one end of which is adjacent said radiused end and the other end of which is adjacent said knee, said openings arranged to approximately equalize stress between said first and second beams and said radiused end.